Career as a Dental Hygienist
By Bailey Arndt

Career Overview

Clean teeth and teach clients how to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

Dental hygienists discuss general health issues with patients and update dental charts. They inspect patients' teeth for deposits and decay, and look for disease in the gums.

Hygienists take pictures of patients teeth using X-rays and develop the film. The Dentists then use those pictures to diagnose problems and plan treatments.

Jobs hygienists perform everyday:

Clean plaque and various stains from teeth

Clean and scale teeth

Scale roots

Apply sealants

Apply fluoride

Career Skills and Interests

Listen to patients, understand and ask questions. Be able to express ideas in writing and speaking. Read and understand materials.

Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. Bring together different pieces of information and have conclusions.Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.Follow guidelines for the procedure. Manage the time of self and others.Check/ask people how well they are learning or doing something.

Working Conditions

They work closely with clients and coworkers.

Are responsible for others' health and safety.

Work as part of a dental team.

Communicate with patients daily by telephone and in person.

May occasionally be placed in conflict situations in which others may be rude or unpleasant.

Are responsible for the health and safety of others.

Always work indoors.

Always wear protective attire. They wear masks, safety glasses, and rubber gloves to protect themselves and their clients from diseases.

Are always exposed to diseases and infections from their contact with clients.

Are often exposed to radiation, such as when x-raying clients' teeth

Work very near other people and have little space between self and others.

Sometimes must get into awkward positions to reach patients' teeth

May work full time or part time. May work days, evenings, or weekends.May work for more than one dental office.

Career Wages and Outlook

Hygienists may be paid by the client, day, or by the hour. Many hygienists work part time and some are paid a combination of salary and commission.

Hourly Wage - $36.50

Salary Wage - $75,000

Hygienists' wages also depend on the hours they work and their responsibilities. Their level of education and the area of the country where they work also affect their wages.

Informational Interview

I went to Oz Family Dentistry and interviewed dental hygienist Rachele Sellner. Rachele was very friendly and was very specific and honest during the interview, she is the hygienist that cleans my teeth so I knew her from past experiences. I learned a lot about the hygienist career and all the work that you need to do to achieve success in this field. I like that you can meet with new people every day and have different but similar tasks on a daily basis. One of my concerns in this occupation is having to take board exams, and having to numb peoples teeth. The work environment at Oz Family Dentistry is very friendly and I would love to be able to work their someday for Doctor Dan Osdaba.

Rachele told me to be prepared to have all your attention on the program, have fun and make sure that you will enjoy your job everyday.

Date of Interview/Job Shadow Experience - March 17th 2014

Interview/Job Shadow Contact - Rachele Sellner

Name of Company - Oz Family Dentistry

Position - Dental Hygienist

Phone Number - (507) 387-2603

Plans to reach my goal!

Interview someone in the same career but works in a different environment

Job shadow someone in a different office and learn for their point of view. Have more mentors in this field